• Children understand the responsibilities
involved in owning a pet.
• Children understand the repercussions for an
animal if their owners do not take care of them
properly.

• Children listen to Nicky’s story and empathise
with the abuse she was suffering.
• Children can identify how Nicky’s owner has
failed her in their duty of care.
• Children can write a 5 day diary entry
from Nicky’s point of view outlining her
abandonment and rescue.

Introduction
• Ask the children what they can recall about
Lucas, the mistreated cat, from a previous
lesson.
• How did Lucas’s owners mistreat him?
• Explain to the children that animal welfare
organisations often come across animal abuse
cases. Many of these cases are reported to
them by concerned neighbours. Today we will
be listening to a rescue case that involved a
young mare.

Development
Display the photo images of Nicky and read Nicky’s
story for the children.
Nicky, as she has been named by her rescuers, has
become the third horse removed from the Mallow
area by the ISPCA in a short period of time. Inspector
Lisa O’Donovan became concerned when she found
the young horse tied in an area with no access to
food water or shelter. The area she was standing in
was very muddy after heavy rainfall during previous
days and the weather forecast suggested more heavy
downpours the temperature was going to get much
colder. Adding to Lisa’s concerns was the poor body
condition underneath Nicky’s winter coat which was
more obvious when she examined her closely.
After getting Nicky in a drier; more sheltered area and
giving her some food and water, Lisa set out to try and
locate an owner but Nicky had no microchip and Lisa
couldn’t find out who owned her.
‘While I have suspicions of who the owner might be,
unfortunately it is difficult to prove this when the
animal is not microchipped. I do believe this horse

was left here deliberately and that is an extremely cruel
thing to do. Leaving this poor young mare tied up in
muck with no access to any form of shelter or a scrap
of grazing or fresh water tells me that whoever owned
her thought she was worthless. I’m delighted that I
was able to take her to the warmth and care of our
Rescue Centre, I find it very frustrating that the people
responsible got away with being so cruel and didn’t
get punished for what they did.’ said Lisa. ‘However, on
the more positive side, she is now safe and under the
care of the ISPCA and will never have to suffer like this
again.’
Ask the children for their initial responses to this
rescue case and the following questions;
1. Why do you believe that Nicky’s owners
abandoned her in this way?
2. How do you think Nicky felt with no access to
food and water in a strange field?
3. How do you think Nicky felt being tied to a
fence and unable to shelter from the wind &
rain?
4. Why is microchipping your pet important?
5. Why do you think that inspector Lisa O’Donovan
is finding her job frustrating?
6. What would have happened to Nicky if the
ISPCA had not found her and brought her to
their centre?

Conclusion:
• Children now write a 5 day diary entry from
Nicky’s point of view. It should start from the day
she was abandoned by her owners to when she
was rescued and brought to the rescue center.
• Children read their entries for the class.

Case Study: Story of Nicky
Pony tethered with no access to food, water or shelter
Nicky, as she has been named by her rescuers,
has become the third horse removed from the
Mallow area by the ISPCA in a short period of
time. Inspector Lisa O’Donovan became concerned
when she found the young horse tied in an area
with no access to food water or shelter. The area
she was standing in was very muddy after heavy
rainfall during previous days and the weather
forecast suggested more heavy downpours the
temperature was going to get much colder. Adding
to Lisa’s concerns was the poor body condition
underneath Nicky’s winter coat which was more
obvious when she examined her closely.

After getting Nicky in a drier; more sheltered
area and giving her some food and water, Lisa set
out to try and locate an owner but Nicky had no
microchip and Lisa couldn’t find out who owned
her.

3 rd/4 th Class
Lesson Plan 8

‘While I have suspicions of who the owner might
be, unfortunately it is difficult to prove this when the
animal is not micro-chipped. I do believe this horse
was left here deliberately and that is an extremely
cruel thing to do. Leaving this poor young mare tied
up in muck with no access to any form of shelter
or a scrap of grazing or fresh water tells me that
whoever owned her thought she was worthless.
I’m delighted that I was able to take her to the
warmth and care of our Rescue Centre, I find it very
frustrating that the people responsible got away with
being so cruel and didn’t get punished for what they
did.’ said Lisa. ‘However,
on the more positive
side, she is now safe and
under the care of the
ISPCA and will never
have to suffer like this
again.’

Lesson Plan 8

3 rd/4 th Class

Evening

Afternoon

Morning

Wednesday

Evening

Afternoon

Morning

Tuesday

Evening

Afternoon

Morning

Monday

Write Nickyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s diary entries below. They should start from the day her owner left her in the field and finish when the ISPCA found her and brought her
to their rescue centre.